Top 10 Ways to Motivate Geeks
Posted June 21st, 2006Categories: Corporate Life, Team Building
Being a geek myself, I think this is a subject I think needs to penetrate all levels of management in every company that values their geeks. By no means is this a rant, but for the last 10 years I’ve seen what motivates us and what doesn’t. I’ve seen the managers that just don’t get it. I’ve seen those that understand completely and react accordingly. So, I thought I’d share my observations and see what everyone has to add as well.
1. Geeks are curious. Let them feed their desire to learn things
I don’t know how much emphasis I can place on this point. You can take the ultimate geek…give them a rockin’ compensation package…and give them “rubber-stamped” projects (same tasks over and over) for two years and they’ll probably quit anyway. This point is based on the notion that if a geek feels his ability to gain knowledge is hindered he’ll try to find it somewhere else. Let them satisfy their curiosities with the task of picking up the latest technologies and applying them as they see fit. (Even if it’s just for a prototype.)
2. Geeks like to be self-sustaining. Let them figure things out on their own.
I haven’t met a true geek yet that wants you to hold their hand through every step of an implementation. In fact I’ve seen quite the opposite. They want to do things their way. If you suggest something, odds are the solution is wrong in their mind because it’s not what they would have come up with first. There’s many ways to complete a task in the technical arena, why cram your solution down their throats? Don’t hinder their creativity, just let them figure it out. The exception to this is probably in design. You obviously have to define your interfaces between components and have your requirements for the implementation. Let the details get figured out by whoever’s doing the dirty work. You can optimize things later if they aren’t up to par.
3. Geeks are creative even if they don’t know it. Give them a chance.
One thing I’ve seen is that most geeks don’t see themselves as very creative. Give them the task of creating a GUI tool of some sort and they’ll butcher it up and say “get someone with art talent on the job; I just know how to make it work”. Now this may be true as far as what’s appealing to the eye, but geeks have creativity inside them somewhere.
When you give them a requirement for a component that’s just out of reach with the normal cookie-cutter solutions, who’s jumping at the chance to dig on the web for solutions that could work? Who’s rattling off a dozen ideas for things to try that might work with the newfound constraints? That’s right, it’s management. 
(Just kidding, though everyone has their moment…who knows? Some managers are geeks too.)
Even if none of the solutions the geeks come up with will work, it’s a vast pool of creative ideas to feed from. Though they see themselves as equation-solvers with little creativity, I see it as opportunity. Let them apply their creativity. They love to be in the brainstorm process instead of pushed to the wayside as a later-used resource.
4. Geeks need tools, good ones. Give them more than they need.
I’ve seen way too many people get frustrated over their hardware’s inability to keep up with them. There’s nothing worse than having a machine that you have to wait on. Bill Gates based his entire company idea on the fact that hardware was going to be unlimited and it allowed him to grow an empire. Had the PC not been able to gain ground as fast as it did in the marketplace Microsoft may have had a different story.
With geeks it’s not much different. Give them unlimited hardware (hell, just give them just a little more than they think they need) and their productivity and creativity will definitely increase. Best of all, it’ll motivate them. Geeks can’t wait to see what they can do with the ultimate environment. Give a geek the latest-released workstation with maxed hardware and you’ll most likely get a little more than you bargained for from them just because they’re motivated enough to push the system to its limits.
5. Private, yet collaborative. Geeks need to be left alone, but not too alone.
I’m really on the fence with this one depending on the project. I’ve seen the case for both putting geeks in offices with doors, and I’ve seen the case for putting everyone in a big non-walled room with the extreme environment at its best. Personally, I like a combination of both. Geeks want to be left alone when they know what their assignment is. Give geeks a problem to solve, and first thing they’ll want to do is run off and come back with something that fits.
Isolation is great for getting things done when you know what’s there, but collaboration is ideal for environments where people can feed off of each other. I think geeks are motivated by the idea of a collaborative environment with their team where they can retreat to a hole-in-the-wall somewhere and not be disturbed while they get into “the zone” and crunch out their tasks.
6. Free stuff. T-shirts, food, desktop widgets, whatever.
It amazes me to no end how free stuff can motivate someone. Geeks could care less about the free company logo pens you hand out. I’m talking real free stuff here. I was on a project once where for two solid months dinner was ordered every night for anyone working late to meet the deadline. I couldn’t believe how many people stayed just because it was easy to do it. Not only that, they were happy to do it!
The power of free things is that it’s generally more motivating when it’s a surprise. If everyone expects it all the time, it’s not really as cool. In my opinion, even if a geek expects free food every Friday afternoon it’s not going to motivate him any less than if you do it every random(6) Fridays.
I’ve seen geeks go out of their way doing some pretty silly things just to get free t-shirts at conferences. The vendors caught onto something right away and have been milking it for everything it’s worth. They know geeks love free stuff, even if it’s crap.
7. Control
This particular point amuses me somewhat actually. I’ve never really met a true geek that didn’t love power. Not the kind of power that an executive has in a company. I’m talking about the power of knowing the inner workings of a complex system that the company benefits from. The power of being able to hop onto a server and manage to be in the top three frag-count players on every map…while everyone else just watches in amazement. The power of knowing that no matter what comes along as a surprise you can figure something out that will work no matter what.
More to the point, geeks like to control their lives. Most of them (well, us) are control freaks that like to do things their own way. Be it control over how to implement their component, design their circuit board, cross out mundane sections of documentation that make no sense except to the business user until it’s re-written, see where they’re headed after the current project…whatever. If a geek doesn’t feel in control, the anxiety will kick in and chip away until greener grass starts to grow on another company’s lawn. Lay out the plans, stick to the plans, and give a comfortable level of control to the geeks and their motivation will feed itself.
8. Geeks need recognition
Having a purpose plays a big role in geek motivation. If geeks don’t feel like they’re needed or appreciated, they’ll begin to wonder if they belong. If someone pulls off some completely unexpected progress by using their creative genius mind, by all means give them some public praise. Feed their desire to do more by giving them the reputation they deserve. The first couple times I was put in front of a VP that really liked what I’d done for their bottom line with my applications, I had such an adrenaline rush that I couldn’t wait to get out there and kick some more ass.
Some may claim to just do it for the general cause of figuring things out and being just another team member, but deep down inside it still has to feel great to know that others are motivated by your accomplishments. Taking credit for a project at a high level in front of management w/o praising the hands-on folks is never the way to go. Giving proper recognition to the true hands-on geeks that are doing most of the grunt-work really motivates them to do more. (Updated 7/18/06: Check out another post on giving proper credit where it’s due.)
9. Freedom
Now, I don’t mean for everyone to get some picture in their mind of geeks lining up to see the last scene of Braveheart, but sometimes I just want to lean back and re-enact that scene in front of everyone I know. Hindering geeks’ ability to use the applications they want or being able to configure their machines they way they like is not the way to go. Give them the tools, but then motivate them by allowing them to really use them the way they can by giving them the free reign to set things up however they want. Companies try to hinder their employees so much by limiting access to things when it really just doesn’t matter. If the geek can’t get his job done with all the freedom given to him, then you don’t want that geek working for you anyway.
This probably lines up with the control point quite a bit, but I think it’s a bit separate in what’s being controlled. Keep the freedom for the geek as much as possible, and they’ll hesitate to look elsewhere since most places don’t do this.
10. Compensation - Saved this for last, but geeks gotta live too
This one goes without saying in my opinion. It’s an implied motivator. Not everyone is as motivated by money as managers think, but most of them are from what I’ve seen. All the other stuff definitely adds up, but compensation is generally the first and primary motivator for most. This applies less for people starting out I think. Geeks just at the beginning of their career are more interested in what they can learn and create. Later on it’s more about compensation and perks. This point could probably be an entire post in itself, so maybe I’ll save that for later. For now, just know that proper compensation and benefits are a very key to motivating geeks.
That’s the set of motivators I think are key to really pumping up your geeks to perform. I’ve seen them work, and I’ve seen the absence of these motivators crush morale and productivity. Please feel free to add motivators that have worked for you and your geeks. What doesn’t work for you? I’m interested in hearing what others see on this subject.
If you have nothing to add, please make an exception to the corporate rule, and go forth motivating your geeks!
Tags: motivation, geeks
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- Integrity Series: Avoid Taking Undeserved Credit
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Explore posts in the same categories: Corporate Life, Team Building
June 21st, 2006 at 9:07 am
i agree with them
June 21st, 2006 at 11:46 am
Tell them its a really tough project, no-one thinks its going to be possible within the constraints. They like to achieve a target that everyone thinks is really hard.
The second worst thing you can do is rearrange their priorities. The worst thing you can do is cancel the project that they are working on.
June 21st, 2006 at 12:07 pm
Gimme, gimme, gimme. Geez. Want much? You’re asking for the world, or worse, asking the world to change to suit your fancy. How about burning some cycles on what geeks can give to their company? Or what geeks can do to fit into the corporate culture better? You’re so quick to dictate how companies can remake themselves to suit you and yet seem oblivious to how you can remake yourself to suit companies. It’s arrogant. This arrogance is the reason there was such a harsh backlash from corporations when the dot-com boom busted. Seriously, ask yourself this: why should a company remake itself for your benefit? Yeah, geeks can be an asset, but our value is not infinite. Companies think in terms of cost/benefit. Where do you fit into that equation? Upping your cost while you’re in scarce supply seems like a great idea, but all price-gougers miss the fact that things tend to return to equilibrium. And payback is a bitch.
June 21st, 2006 at 12:54 pm
You forgot food. Free food.
June 21st, 2006 at 1:00 pm
Thanks for the comments!
I like the additions, MC. I like the point where you basically tell them someone thinks they can’t do something to motivate them to prove you wrong. I think this should only be used when that’s really the case though. Lying to motivate can seriously backfire.
Jacob, it’s not a post about what geeks can give to the company. It’s a post about the top 10 ways you could motivate geeks if you wanted to. The scope of the topic just doesn’t include the why. Some companies are in a position where they don’t have to worry about their IT resources and they wouldn’t be as interested in the points. Others might be wondering why they can’t keep people around long enough. In this article, I really didn’t care about the why. Just the how.
As for the free food. Um, I did mention that. I think that should be reserved for special occasions or when you really want to get people to stay around more than usual.
June 21st, 2006 at 3:31 pm
If this post was really about how you “could” motivate geeks, I wouldn’t have reacted the way I did. The statement that these things “need to penetrate all levels of management in every company that values their geeks” is normative and value-laden, though. It’s a call to change management–all management. As such, it comes across as demanding and arrogant. It would have been a *much* better post if it had been as humble as you retroactively suggest. That tone permeates the rest of the post as well (from suggesting that only geeks are creative to your call to “make the exception to the corproate rule” at the end). We’re not just talking amongst ourselves here, you’re deliberately inviting managers to sip at the well of your wisdom. Since you’re talking to an outside group (management), you might find it much more effective if you moderated your tone to actually be as inviting as you suggest that you intended to be.
Last note: I am, however, impressed at your moderation in responding to my somewhat intemperate comment. Thank you for your sincere response.
June 21st, 2006 at 4:08 pm
Thanks for coming back Jacob. I’m not actually here to cold-shoulder anyone. (Unless it turns into a cursing match, which I just refuse to allow or acknowledge.) My post on goals for blogging on this site can sum up why I’m even doing it to begin with. If I’m alienating people because of writing style feedback is the only way for me to find out.
As you can probably tell by my short archive…I’m somewhat new to the whole writing to the entire world thing. You have a valid point that the post could/should be written with a different tone. I just had the topic pop up in my head as to the how points, and I just wanted to get them posted in the 30 minutes I had this morning. I’ll certainly keep tone in mind for future posts. I appreciate the feedback, intemperate as it may be sometimes.
June 21st, 2006 at 10:28 pm
I really don’t view the article as arrogant at all. I hope you won’t change your interesting style just because of one person’s minority view.
June 21st, 2006 at 11:00 pm
Changing style isn’t what I had in mind. I will, however, be sure to read posts with a broader perspective before publishing to try to make sure I’m not sending unintended messages. And thanks for the compliment!
June 23rd, 2006 at 10:18 pm
all good stuff.
btw, “the last scene of Braveheart” — isn’t that where william wallace gets hung drawn and quartered?
am i missing something here?
June 24th, 2006 at 8:46 am
Well, it’s not really the last scene. But yeah, I’m referring to where he screams “freedom” at the top of his lungs.
June 24th, 2006 at 1:26 pm
All of these are right-on. If anything, it’s why I’m where I am… but I had to slave and suffer, come out bloodied and battle-weary from struggling under old-school thinkers in the beginning, then just did my own thing.
Quite allot of this is almost like military training, look at the manuals in detail; it’s all psych 101 stuff. The specific difference is obvious, but the fundamentals are there.
June 24th, 2006 at 3:36 pm
That list is right on target. I’m going to have to pass this on to my boss. I could use a free dinner now and again.
Actually, my workplace already has/does most of these things. I share an office at work with another developer, but I telecommute two days a week (with company-provided top-o’-the-line hardware) so I get some peace and quiet to work on my own, too.
I’m forced to do a lot of design (which I’m not very good at) to stretch other parts of my brain. Projects usually progress from being given an idea of what needs to be built, and then being allowed the freedom to design and build it the way I see it.
I’m also very well compensated, which isn’t to be sneezed at.
June 30th, 2006 at 12:51 am
[…] I think the argument that coders aren’t in charge anymore isn’t the issue, it’s more than management needs to become more familiar and allow the technical people to participate in the process that drives the IT side of the house for goals, timelines, and direction as well as the implementation details. The IT people aren’t just gumball machines where you can insert coins once in awhile for a flavor of the month. Let them be involved in deciding what flavors to put in there, how many gumballs the machine can hold, and how many you should put in there. See my article about How to Motivate Geeks, and apply what makes sense for you to keep them excited and involved. […]
July 17th, 2006 at 10:30 am
How to keep the geeks happy…
If you are a geek, what motivates you in your workplace? Business and technology site Retrospector.com has an excellent article on how to keep the technology folks as productive as possible. Obviously, a rockin’ compensation package goes a long……
July 17th, 2006 at 11:16 am
A geek is a side-show attraction that bites the heads off chickens: mentally unbalanced, usually alcoholic.
You’re a nerd. Stick to the language.
July 17th, 2006 at 11:43 am
[…] The Retrospector has a good post on the top 10 ways to motivate geeks. Each and every one of them is an excellent point. I’ve added an #11 below. I especially like number 6: 6. Free stuff. T-shirts, food, desktop widgets, whatever. It amazes me to no end how free stuff can motivate someone. Geeks could care less about the free company logo pens you hand out. I’m talking real free stuff here. I was on a project once where for two solid months dinner was ordered every night for anyone working late to meet the deadline. I couldn’t believe how many people stayed just because it was easy to do it. Not only that, they were happy to do it! The power of free things is that it’s generally more motivating when it’s a surprise. If everyone expects it all the time, it’s not really as cool. In my opinion, even if a geek expects free food every Friday afternoon it’s not going to motivate him any less than if you do it every random(6) Fridays. I’ve seen geeks go out of their way doing some pretty silly things just to get free t-shirts at conferences. The vendors caught onto something right away and have been milking it for everything it’s worth. They know geeks love free stuff, even if it’s crap. […]
July 17th, 2006 at 11:45 am
A nerd is most commonly used to refer to a book-smart person rather than a technological-smart person. A geek is used more commonly now to refer to a technology-smart person as in the context of the post than as a reference to the now non-existant “side-show attraction that bites the heads off chickens: mentally unbalance, usually alcoholic.” In fact, by that definition, if we substitute “bats” for “chickens” we describe Ozzy Osbourne exactly. Ozzy the Geek. Imagine.
From Dictionary.com
Geek:
1.
1. A person regarded as foolish, inept, or clumsy.
2. A person who is single-minded or accomplished in scientific or technical pursuits but is felt to be socially inept.
2. A carnival performer whose show consists of bizarre acts, such as biting the head off a live chicken.
July 17th, 2006 at 11:56 am
Thank you for the funny reading !
I think that motivation is a cultural matter: your points seem suited for a typical US geek, but not very much for Europeans. Typical examples are “Free T-Shirts” and “Compensation”: I am sure we are really different on what we want and what motivates us.
July 17th, 2006 at 12:03 pm
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July 17th, 2006 at 12:27 pm
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July 17th, 2006 at 12:53 pm
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July 17th, 2006 at 1:14 pm
What would motivate Non-Geeks then? It sounds pretty much the same.
July 17th, 2006 at 1:15 pm
[…] I need motivation. Retrospector offers their Top 10 Ways to Motivate Geeks and I have to agree! ¶ Search […]
July 17th, 2006 at 2:32 pm
[…] From The Retrospector […]
July 17th, 2006 at 3:23 pm
Jacob, the guy who left “gimme” comment a few lines below, must be an IT manager. I’d venture to say rather unsuccessful manager based on his tone. Some manager just think that their employees should behave like worker bees. You feed them work, they get it done and come back for more. Why is it normal practice to lure sales force with expense accounts, bonuses and company trips, but giving a software developer a free t-shirt is “remaking the company”. Plus, nobody suggests bending backwards, these are simple things that can be done with minimum effort and expense. These ideas are not “geek charity” or handouts. They make business sense. You invest in good work environment and get payback in terms of projects done on time and budget. Too bad Jacob fails to see that. I think these are great suggestions. Having worked over ten years in IT industry both as developer and manager, I can testify to their effectiveness.
July 17th, 2006 at 11:28 pm
[…] The Retrospector has posted the Top 10 Ways to Motivate Geeks at work. I couldn’t possibly agree more. I think I’ve finally realized why some employers hate me. They aren’t geeks! They want what geeks can bring to the table, but they don’t know how to manage geeks. […]
July 18th, 2006 at 3:28 am
[…] Of course some would say that you want to look like you’re more involved than you really are, but the point of this article is to let you know that such practices are noticed by your peers. You really need to make sure you’re spreading the “credit wealth” as much as possible, and people will be more than likely to work with/for you again. A point in one of my posts for motivating geeks mentions giving full credit when it’s deserved. Avoiding the “we” factor is a good way to do just that. Not mentioning the people doing the work at all […]
July 18th, 2006 at 6:37 am
[…] After a whole day of laboring (mopping floors, vacuuming the apartment, rearranging furniture, taking out the trash), I finally get to spend some quality time with my dear iBook alone; and I came across this interesting article. Top 10 ways to motivate geeks […]
July 18th, 2006 at 10:03 am
I don’t think the money is what g33ks want. They only need the money to feed their obsession with more g33k stuff. The g33k stuff we love costs money (sometimes expensive stuff), but usually it helps feed our creative or “hacking” personalities. More mini-itx stuff, more wireless stuff, more computers/software, etc…..
July 18th, 2006 at 10:14 am
A lot of these apply to those of us that are in the “quasi” geek realm — we don’t do a lot of coding but are involved in the structure and internals of internet, intranet, portal sites.
At any rate — one I would add is to allow your geek to provide a solution that works! I’m encountering business users (upper management) that insist that they know the solution and it must be done *that* way — even if there is another approach.
I completely agree with the point about allowing tools needed (and maybe more than you think are needed).
An example from my own experience: I requested a *free* open source application to experiment with putting our taxonomy into XML. This was THREE months ago. There is only one place you can downloaod it, you can communicate directly with the programmer and there is no budget issue. I had to fill out a canned form that insisted upon answers that are not applicable because this is a free application…
Too many of our own IT people have not kept up to date and are unfamiliar with some of the new approaches and technologies. I am not an expert in any of these things, by any means! But, it dowes seem that not all geeks are curious. Now, perhaps these are techies that are not geeks? Or perhaps the organizational culture has beaten down their curiousity?
July 18th, 2006 at 10:33 am
Number 8 Recognition.
I have lost count of the number of times that supervisors and managers have
taken credit for the work of their staff. Nothing discourages and hurts more!
I knew a guy who once subtly screwed up a project because he knew his manager
was going to take credit for the work. Heh, heh…the manager got fired for the
the screw up because he had unknowingly taken credit for it! (Yes, once in
a while there is justice!)
July 18th, 2006 at 10:46 am
Top 10 Ways to Motivate a Geek…
I couldn’t resist posting about this article. It’s a decent read and highlights some of the issues I……
July 18th, 2006 at 11:19 am
[…] on the road » Bookmark on del.icio.us I couldn’t resist posting about this article. It’s a decent read and highlights some ofthe issues I see affecting us here at Microsoft every day. It’s my first visit to the Retrospector’s blog and I’ve already subscribed; another good read is the linked article on “how to become an early riser.” I get chided on all the time because I’m one of those “sleeps four hours a night” people and am always up early, but after reading that article maybe its totally normal to do so. […]
July 18th, 2006 at 11:19 am
Thanks for stopping in everyone! What a pleasant surprise to see renewed activity on this post. I’ve enjoyed reading the comments and new points people have brought up in their comments and blog posts.
The “European perspective” comment does have a good point. I’ve not worked overseas at all and only know the environment over there from a tourist’s perspective. I imagine motivation in that part of the world is pretty different for everyone, let alone geeks.
@gary, I think it’s quite amusing that you posted such a point. My article from this morning is the beginning of an integrity series and the first post addresses giving proper recognition where it’s due.
July 18th, 2006 at 1:57 pm
There’s a very thin line, of course, between letting someone work their own solution, and letting someone thrash needlessly. Some people are great at algebra, but make horrible theoreticians.
And so, of course, you should not equate independance and not requesting help for never needing or wanting it. In fact, in my experience, some people don’t know *when* to ask for help (or are afraid to).
July 18th, 2006 at 6:40 pm
[…] Mcse Exam Papers Downloads » Bookmark on del.icio.us I saw this post Top 10 Ways to Motivate Geeks and I loved it because I think it is very true forall of us. Now as I go down the list: […]
July 18th, 2006 at 7:26 pm
[…] Top 10 Ways to Motivate Geeks · The Retrospector (tags: motivation geeks list) […]
July 18th, 2006 at 10:39 pm
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July 18th, 2006 at 11:31 pm
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July 19th, 2006 at 3:22 am
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July 19th, 2006 at 3:39 am
[…] 10 ways to motivate geeks {I think it applies to everybody mostly!} […]
July 19th, 2006 at 3:39 am
[…] 10 ways to motivate geeks {I think it applies to everybody mostly!} […]
July 19th, 2006 at 7:14 am
Top 10 ways to motivate a geek…
http://www.retrospector.com/2006/06/21/top-10-ways-to-motivate-geeks/…
July 19th, 2006 at 8:12 am
Point 10. It really boils down to the whole package. Lower $ with better intangibles like flexible work schedule, broad responsibilities and a good corporate culture go a long way. Most of us wouldn’t last long at a company that had horrible working conditions but gave us 50% more pay. The other item in compensation is that if you have to cut back, make sure you’re honest about the scope of the cutback. I was at a company where the CEO decided to cut salaries by 10% by shortening the work week to 36 hours. The kicker was that he still expected everyone to work 40 hours and give up their bonuses (which wasn’t even discussed during any of the management meetings). The end result was that many people lost 25-40% of their compensation package. Talk about a demotivator…
July 19th, 2006 at 10:10 am
I have to agree with this, have been on both sides of the fence within the same company, certain areas have more freedom, schwag, equipment, etc… and those working under the ten ways are much more productive, more loyal to the company, and their creativity has flourished. Same for me once I was able to get transferred. On the other side the people I worked with including myself where loathing, bitter people, slowly lossing their humanity and will to live. Guess which side I prefer to work in. Although personally I would rather them keep the free stuff and put the cash in the pocket but alas even here I am in the minority on this opinion.
July 19th, 2006 at 11:20 am
[…] Anyway - enought about us. Still coming down off the high from posting on the JobSyntax blog about the current state of Recruiting Software Engineers for the Week 2: Blog Swap - I came across this great post on The Retrospector called: Top 10 Ways to Motivate Geeks. Be sure to go to the post to read more: 1. Geeks are curious. Let them feed their desire to learn things […]
July 20th, 2006 at 6:07 am
i have to give full ack here.
I didnt know i was that geek
July 20th, 2006 at 8:22 am
[…] I came across this website the other day: Top 10 Ways to Motivate Geeks. At first glance of the 10 ways, i think 8 of them apply to me. If this is any indication, i think i’m officially qualified as a geek. Here is the rundown of the points that i agree upon: […]
July 20th, 2006 at 10:39 am
As an engineer and a manager, I can tell you that the #1 motivation for geeks is to do their work for them when they procratinate (once in a while).
If an engineer is dragging his feet on something important, and making excuses for it, surrupticiously complete the work in its entirety without his knowing.
Nothing is more humbling and incentivizing for an engineer then to have his boss not berate him for procrastination, but instead to completely circumvent it by doing both jobs without comment.
I learned this from one of my managers at Yahoo! - I used to walk into his cube to ask a question, and instead of answering it, he would completely solve the problem from start to finish while you stood there, in about 5 minutes. As a result, I strived really hard to never bother him again, because it was so humbling.
July 20th, 2006 at 10:47 am
[…] Everyone has a price. Sometimes, though, the cost isn’t measured in dollars and cents. I recently read the article Top Ten Ways to Motivate Geeks, and being a geek myself, I got thinking about the inverse argument: what can a manager do to piss off their technical underlings such that they are less productive? After talking with a few of my fellow geeks, I present, in no particular order, our humble list of ways to de-motivate the technophiles that work for you. Note that I use the word “geek” to represent anyone that works with technology on a day-to-day basis, but particularly people working in software development or IT. Disclaimer: This is not directed at my current employer or its management, and is not intended to describe any single person or any single company. It was compiled from the opinions of several geeks working at several companies in multiple states. Please don’t fire me. 1. Insult their ability or intelligence […]
July 20th, 2006 at 10:55 am
After reading this, I was inspired to write the inverse list: the top 10 things that DE-motivate a geek.
Shameless plug:
Top 10 Ways to De-Motivate Geeks
July 21st, 2006 at 7:20 am
re: Go First…
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July 21st, 2006 at 10:19 am
Top 10 Ways to Motivate Geeks…
I found this article titled, ‘Top 10 Ways to Motivate Geeks’ over at The Retrospector.There is a list……
July 21st, 2006 at 1:08 pm
[…] When working I often feel that sometimes I can’t get motivated. The Retrospector has written a great list on how to keep a geek motivated, I can’t agree more with the list. 1. Geeks are curious. Let them feed their desire to learn things […]
July 21st, 2006 at 1:09 pm
motivating geeks to join your company…
I just read this great article on 10 Ways to Motivate Geeks, by the Retrospector (love the name). ……
July 21st, 2006 at 2:47 pm
How to Motivate and De-Motivate a Geek…
This came from JobSyntax. Interesting articles on how to motivate and de-motivate a geek. ……
July 22nd, 2006 at 5:02 am
[…] Auch in meinem Team hat es einige Geeks, also bin ich mit Interesse Lewis Cunninghams Ankündigung gefolgt, und habe die Top 10 Ways to Motivate Geeks gelesen. […]
July 22nd, 2006 at 5:06 am
[…] Auch in meinem Team hat es einige Geeks, also bin ich mit Interesse Lewis Cunninghams Ankündigung gefolgt, und habe die Top 10 Ways to Motivate Geeks gelesen. Und wurde enttäuscht: es handelt sich nur um die Aufzählung des offensichtlichen, und wurde künstlich auf 10 Einträge aufgeblasen. Diggbait at its best. […]
July 26th, 2006 at 9:18 pm
[…] Top 10 Ways to Motivate Geeks · The Retrospector (tags: geek productivity business motivation lifehacks) Share and Enjoy:These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. […]
July 27th, 2006 at 10:07 am
[…] Are you a geek? Are you motivated by this? I think I am kind of a geek
. Thanks to Alain for this nice article. […]
July 27th, 2006 at 3:17 pm
Top 10 Ways to Motivate a Geek (By Retrospector)…
I couldn’t resist posting about this article by “Retrospector,” a blog I have just subscribed to :)……
July 28th, 2006 at 11:44 am
How to Motivate and De-Motivate a Geek…
This came from Scoble. Interesting articles on how to motivate and de-motivate a geek. There are several…
July 31st, 2006 at 7:19 pm
[…] 如果你也是一个技术狂，你觉得什么最能鼓励你？ “十大激励Geeks的方法” […]
August 2nd, 2006 at 12:34 am
Geekology - Understanding and nurturing tech talent…
Do we understand the people we Pursue ? Thoughtful insight for companies trying …
August 2nd, 2006 at 8:02 pm
Excellent list. These were all spot-on. The only thing I would add is management support. You’re much less likely to do cool things if your boss doesn’t cover you on the ones that go awry.
August 3rd, 2006 at 10:57 pm
[…] This Joel on Software article about developers’ work environments reminded me about a humorously titled but serious blog entry Top 10 Ways to Motivate Geeks from a couple of weeks ago. Both got me thinking about my current situation. […]
August 4th, 2006 at 1:31 am
Most of this list was right on target, especially the thing about wanting to be left alone. One thing geeks absolutely hate is being micro-managed. If you don’t think I can do the job without you holding my hand then why did you even hire me in the first place?
August 4th, 2006 at 10:46 pm
Right on! I have vacillated through the last 15 years working for myself and working for large corps. So many of those corp groups can absolutely stifle the joy (and corresponding productivity) of my “geek” by their worker bee mentality. I was recently cut loose on a project as a free lance and given free reign (with milestones in place of course) to do a fairly large project as and how I wish. So I am sitting on a Friday night churning code - with this small dalliance. If anyone had told me that I would be doing this a few months ago, I would have laughed my *ss off. Here’s to respecting the geek!
August 9th, 2006 at 12:54 pm
[…] From the Top 10 Ways to Motivate Geeks. JPL’s biggest mistake has been giving me this 4-year-old Compaq with just 504 MB RAM. So all I can really do is post on blog […]
August 14th, 2006 at 8:38 pm
[…] This Joel on Software article about developers’ work environments reminded me about a humorously titled but serious blog entry Top 10 Ways to Motivate Geeks from a couple of weeks ago. Both got me thinking about my current situation. […]
August 15th, 2006 at 12:14 am
[…] I’m somewhat dissapointed that we can’t use previous posts in this project, as one of my most popular posts (and continues to bring over 50% of my traffic each week) is a Top 10 Ways to Motivate Geeks list. Nevertheless, I don’t see why I can’t just come up with another list on short notice. Though the first thing that really comes to mind just isn’t related to business or technology. The first thing that hit me was a Top 10 list for things I’ve learned while reading Darren’s post at Problogger.net. […]
August 15th, 2006 at 11:15 pm
[Misc] So Many “Top X” Articles!…
Maybe it’s the new “considered harmful”. Over the past couple of months, there’s been a number of articles on various blogs with a title of the form “n ways to achieve goal x” or “n qualities of thing y. All the articles below were written in …..
August 21st, 2006 at 5:01 pm
Top 10 Ways to Motivate Geeks…
Given the title of my blog I couldn’t resist linking to this post courtesy of a link I found from……
August 21st, 2006 at 6:16 pm
I think this post “Top 10 ways to motivate geeks” is a great definition of what keeps geeks moving. It’s also something to ponder, while we wait for the Geekzone 2006 kick-off…
August 21st, 2006 at 9:02 pm
What motivates geeks?…
I came across this article tonight while reviewing some other blogs I frequent and it REALLY spoke to…
August 22nd, 2006 at 12:33 am
[…] Here’s my addition to the lists started on the Retrospector blog and commented on by Michael Affronti and Steve Clayton: […]
August 23rd, 2006 at 10:45 am
[…] http://www.retrospector.com/2006/06/21/top-10-ways-to-motivate-geeks/ […]
August 24th, 2006 at 9:42 am
Geeks are just anxious to please like everyone else, but don’t get listened to! Read my motivation by listening blog at Motivating Now
September 2nd, 2006 at 1:38 am
[…] Since I am a self appointed geek, I love it!!! This was taken originally from “Top 10 ways to motivate geeks“ […]
September 11th, 2006 at 8:02 pm
[…] 95 Theses of Geek Activism “Geeks are not known to be political or highly vocal (outside of our own circles)- this must change if we want things to improve. So here is my list of things people of all shapes, sizes and sides of the debate need to know.” […]
September 18th, 2006 at 7:41 am
[…] Top 10 Ways to Motivate Geeks Being a geek myself, I think this is a subject I think needs to penetrate all levels of management in every company that values their geeks. By no means is this a rant, but for the last 10 years I’ve seen what motivates us and what doesn’t. I’ve seen the managers that just don’t get it. I’ve seen those that understand completely and react accordingly. So, I thought I’d share my observations and see what everyone has to add as well. […]
October 30th, 2006 at 6:53 am
[…] Top 10 Ways to Motivate Geeks · The Retrospector […]
January 15th, 2007 at 3:41 pm
[…] Dieser Mensch hat soo Recht. Eine deutsche Interpretation findet man bei Dirks Logbuch. [via geewiz] Tags: geeks, webwide […]
January 27th, 2007 at 7:59 am
[…] http://www.retrospector.com/2006/06/21/top-10-ways-to-motivate-geeks/ […]
February 2nd, 2007 at 5:32 am
[…] … read full article (is written by a geek) […]
February 2nd, 2007 at 3:20 pm
Jacob, brundle has a similar attitude of geek responsibility than you, but I just want to address an issue of your tone.
Your post reads like an anti-Successories De-Motivator poster - I can think of the one that goes “Just because you’re essential doesn’t mean you’re important”
Brundle says - throw the ball back to the geek. You say ‘geeks should shut up and suck it up’ You probably don’t have a lot of geeks you depend upon in your job, J, because I doubt they’d find you fair or understand your resentful attitude towards them, so I doubt they’d stick around. I wouldn’t.
February 28th, 2007 at 12:24 am
[…] See, the list could probably go on and on, but I think that gets the basic points across to support my theory here. I’d love to hear more about similarities and even differences on this comparison. Feel free to add something that you’ve noticed as well now that we’re on the subject. Final Thoughts Something I’ve often looked for in interviewing is a passion for gaming. I can relate to it. (Granted I’m probably not a very good gamer anymore, but I still LOVE it.) That persistence needed for really mastering something is a good quality to have. I wouldn’t hire someone just because they like games, but it tells me who’s messing around on their computers all the time late at night after they go home.It tells me that the motivation to accomplish something in a logical fashion is there that goes above and beyond a goals and objectives schedule from the boss.Obviously, to be a great developer you also have to have a knack for technology. And some would argue that you should have a degree or training of some kind as well. I think there’s many things that make up a great developer, but there’s been many great examples amongst my peers over the years that simply reinforce the idea that gamers make great developers.Tags: gamers, developers, programming, problem+solving Related Posts: […]
February 28th, 2007 at 10:55 am
[…] Top 10 Ways to Motivate Geeks · The Retrospector […]
February 28th, 2007 at 2:35 pm
hi.good site.
March 3rd, 2007 at 11:38 am
Beautiful site!
March 5th, 2007 at 10:07 am
[…] http://www.retrospector.com/2006/06/21/top-10-ways-to-motivate-geeks/ […]
March 12th, 2007 at 6:35 am
[…] Top 10 Ways to Motivate Geeks · The Retrospector LicenseThis work is published under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. […]
March 20th, 2007 at 3:11 am
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March 27th, 2007 at 8:12 am
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April 5th, 2007 at 8:19 am
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April 11th, 2007 at 9:53 pm
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April 12th, 2007 at 7:33 am
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April 21st, 2007 at 9:43 pm
[…] The Retrospector Blog has a perfect complement for the BloomBurst Hypocritical Guide to Productivity: The Top 10 Ways to Motivate Geeks. A few of my favorites (paraphrased): […]
June 5th, 2007 at 4:00 pm
I’d just like to comment on Jacob’s rant on how geeks should try harder to conform to established corporate structures and if they don’t, “payback is a bitch.” First off, You (and business executives) need to look at the business environment to properly assess your “cost/benefit” calculation. If you want to look at your geeks in a cost/benefit way and a company called Google wants to change the “soft-costs” of all the IT sector and adds the above mentioned benefits, and builds a culture around it, your company absolutely not going to benefit as a result. Your company’s geeks are going to jump ship. Even while your company starts to match, or even fully matches the benefits, your company will still be operating with a “cost/benefit” mindset. Maybe after you have 100% turn over in your IT department will that mindset not be so prevalent. It does not even have to be a 100% turn over, just all the best and brightest in your IT department, that’s all that Google wants anyways. The costs of replacing them and their domain knowledge of your enterprise will be several times over the cost of finding and hiring a replacement.
June 12th, 2007 at 10:07 am
[…] Everyone has a price. Sometimes, though, the cost isn’t measured in dollars and cents. I recently read the article Top Ten Ways to Motivate Geeks, and being a geek myself, I got thinking about the inverse argument: what can a manager do to piss off their technical underlings such that they are less productive? After talking with a few of my fellow geeks, I present, in no particular order, our humble list of ways to de-motivate the technophiles that work for you. Note that I use the word “geek” to represent anyone that works with technology on a day-to-day basis, but particularly people working in software development or IT. […]
June 14th, 2007 at 3:32 am
This one makes sence “One’s first step in wisdom is to kuesstion everything - and one’s last is to come to terms with everything.”
June 24th, 2007 at 10:15 pm
I agree 90%. But not sure about number 6. I’m a geek and I hate free t-shirts. Just show me the tech.